Video Fitness Forum  

Go Back   Video Fitness Forum > Video Fitness Reader Forum > General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 05-16-16, 11:23 AM  
eam531
VF Supporter
 
eam531's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Buffalo, NY
I have NO idea why that DVD is called "Beginners and Beyond". The first set (Basic Spinal Series) should be done slowly and gently. Although it is a stand-alone kriya, it is often used in live classes as a warm up for other longer and more difficult yoga sets. Ana moves at lightning speed and people think they have to match her. They shouldn't. Treat this workout as a warm up and go slooowly and limit your range of motion.

The second set (5 Tibetan Rites) is an interesting and challenging body weight workout, especially if you do all the reps of each exercise. It is NOT for beginners--I guess this is the "beyond" part. These exercises can tweak your back and other joints if you are not already used to vigorous yoga, if you do too many reps, and/or have not warmed up sufficiently. I really like it, but it has no place on a DVD with "beginner" in the title.

When Yogi Bhajan came to the US in 1969 or so and started teaching kundalini yoga, don't forget that his students were people in their late teens and early twenties. Many young healthy people tend to be able to do challenging kundalini yoga kriyas fairly easily--I saw this in classes. It's quite another thing for people of any age who have pre-existing injuries and other conditions and/or haven't exercised in awhile, especially if there are no real modifications taught for the exercises in the kriyas.

I wish Nirvair would put out a kundalini yoga series that is for people with injuries, older people who haven't done yoga before, etc. He'd be perfect for that kind of project.

Back to the title of the thread--today I did one of the Mark Lauren "You Are Your Own Gym" workouts and decided to tack on a YouTube workout by Jessica Smith titled "30 Minute Knee Friendly Total Body Barre Workout". Call me humbled--it was Jessica's workout that did it. I was pre-fatigued from Mark's workout, but the reason Jessica's workout was so humbling is that at the gym I am used to lifting heavier weights with fewer reps. My arms were fried by 3 pound weights because of all the reps. It is knee-friendly, too--it is the only barre-type workout I have done that hasn't killed my knees. It's not a Burr Leonard-level workout, especially for the lower body, but I liked it. Plus, who can argue with free?
__________________
Betsy

There is no way of telling people they are all walking around shining like the sun--Thomas Merton

People have done all kinds of remarkable things because they thought they could. People routinely fail to do quite ordinary things because they assume they can't--Reinhard Engels

Stay gold, Ponyboy--S.E. Hinton

Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try--Ryan Bingham

Disclosure: I have a personal relationship with a fitness instructor who has appeared in some videos.
eam531 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-16, 11:36 AM  
donnamp
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland, USA
Betsy - thanks for your insights into Kundalini! If I ever want to try it again I will check out the instructor you mentioned.

I also did that barre workout w/ Jessica Smith a few weeks back, it is a good one.

Donna
donnamp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-16, 02:11 PM  
lorajc
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
I agree that Beginners and Beyond is not a good starting point with Ravi and Ana! I get the most use out of Quick Fixes and House Call. The Five Tibetans are hard for BOTH me and my husband who RUNS!! I have to modify the heck out of them!! They are indeed tough!! Not really a good choice for a beginner dvd again!

Anyway, I'm by no means an instructor like Betsy and I respect instructor's input...thanks Betsy.....but one thing I would also like to bring to mind about yoga....is that yoga from the point I started at.....was explained to me that it is a "practice" and not meant to be perfect ....or follow the instructor perfectly...and to do what you can and as you practice, you may get better, you may not....but I do what I can, modify what I need to, listen to my body, go slower, etc, use common sense and I've had a long time love affair with my Ravi/Ana DVDs.....most used in my collection.....as I mentioned above, been practicing a good 15 plus years....so there is that side to yoga also...it's not perfection of practice...or I'd be in trouble.

I also like that some of the Ravi/Ana DVDs have a bit of a workout feel to them, but make you feel good at the same time, but the most important thing about it to me these days is that I do it to stay healthy and flexible...and feeling good...okay...done rambling....guess I best go see if the Kundalini check in still exists...LOL. Not to get totally OFF SUBJECT here........LOL.
lorajc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-16, 03:02 PM  
Missiscipi
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: TX
Lora - I have come across your threads regarding back pain and totally understand. I was hit by a car 1 year ago and have 2 herniated discs and some knee issue. With me I can do bodyweight and tweak my back too. I can lift weights (not over 15lb per arm) and be fine. Just depends on the move and if I am not squeezing my glutes and abs. Twisting stuff is BAD for me along with bending over. Bending over is my mortal enemy.
I started doing Foundation Training with Dr. Eric Goodman (not with him personally but his youtube videos, dvds and book) and it has made an incredible improvement in how my back feels. I did Callanetics which is supposed to be good for the back on Saturday and I am having a really bad week coming off that. Back to Foundation Training and I am also trying out Margaret Richard too. With Foundation Training I am strengthening my posterior chain and learning how to move properly and how to bend over properly.

I was able to do Tonique Premier with zero pain and had major improvement in my back pain from that (before I found Foundation Training) but I did her high impact warmup and did something really bad to my knee and now I am wearing a knee brace and swore off squats and lunges for a good while
Missiscipi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-16, 04:46 PM  
lorajc
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Maybe I should look into those Foundation workouts! Even though the majority of my severity is in my neck....i do have some in the thoracic and lumbar also and also what's good for the back is good for the neck.......thanks.i know I guess everyone is different...part of my problem is that I have 2 polar opposite issues going on.....facet problems and disc herniations so bending is good for one and backbends is good for the other.
lorajc is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2009 Video Fitness